China starts freight train to London as Xi boosts trade ties

The freighter will pass through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium and France.

According to Wuhan's railway authority, there were just 23 such trains in 2014 when the city was first incorporated into the cargo train program connecting China and Europe.

A new freight train service between China and the United Kingdom has been launched, BelTA learned from China Daily.

China has begun its first freight train service to London from Yiwu, a famed wholesale market town in the eastern province of Zhejiang, the Xinhua news agency reported.

Part of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's "one belt, one road" strategy, the route will be the latest in a tally of 39 routes to bolster business between China and Europe.

There are now 39 routes linking 16 Chinese cities to 12 European cities.

122 cargo trains departed from central China to Europe in 2016, an increase of 30 percent compared to the previous year. The train trip will cover a total of 7,400 miles, and the returning train will bring German meats, Russian woods, and French wines into China for sale there.

The China Railway Corporation said the train to London will strengthen the connection between China and Western Europe and improve China-Britain trade ties.